Accordingly, the thirteen percent spike from the first quarter of total cumulative cases reported last year increased from 4556 to 5176 this quarter (January- March).

During the three months of the first quarter of this year, 165 fresh cases along with fifteen deaths were reported as well. So far a total number of 1520 HIV-related deaths reported by 2022.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry called for an Expression of Interest to conduct study on the integrated bio-behavioural Surveillance (IBBS) and Population Size Estimation on Key population for HIV in Sri Lanka. The Study is carried out every four- five years.

The last IBBS study which was carried out in 2018 noted that the prevalence of HIV and STIs remains very low across all populations groups in Sri Lanka, but stressed that “ the presence of risk behaviour including inconsistent condom usage, poor HIV health-seeking behaviour, and poor knowledge of HIV, combined with poor coverage of HIV prevention programmes, could result in increases in prevalence,